Life Abroad – Part 32:
Old country
Revisiting my old haunts has been a tremendous experience starting
from a weird encounter at the Bandaranaike International Airport in
Colombo where a panicked passenger on Flight WY 0372 on May 26, 2013 had
removed my baggage inadvertently after going through the security
screening machine before I could pick my bags.
In a last minute attempt to abandon my trip to London (naturally
without any trace of my baggage within split seconds of it going through
security screening), the uncouth response of a security supervisor (when
complained about ‘my lost baggage’) was much to be desired.
My preference at the time to speak my mind out about his duty
consciousness was overshadowed by the panicky situation that arose where
I had no option but to abandon the trip if I could not trace my baggage
prior to the closure of the flight! Thanks to the concerned efforts of
an alert female ground hostess the bag was found in the nick of time,
abandoned by a passenger near a check-in counter. What a difference of
attitude between two members of staff at the airport!
|
Millenium
bridge |
If the Airport Management is interested in streamlining the security
process not as to incommode passengers in the manner I had to
experience, it would be advisable to allow adequate time for each
passenger to get through security and collect baggage peacefully rather
than following the present trend of ‘pushing’ air passengers
continuously like a herd of cattle which only makes the conveyor belt at
security screening point chockablock and excited type passengers to
panic and pick up wrong bags (like in my case).
Experience galore
Experience inside the aircraft too was something that I had not
encountered prior to my changing of airlines from SriLankan to another
this time. This particular flight which took off at 8.45 am to Muscat
did not serve any refreshments up to two hours being in the air, and
that too arrived simultaneously with the meal tray. I began to repent
for not flying SriLankan!
Despite various rumours I had heard about London “having broken down,
memory had got disintegrated and words had lost their meaning etc.,” I
found that many things in the UK had changed and the Capital had moved
with the times in keeping abreast with modern technology.
At the London Heathrow airport, immigration procedure for British and
EU passport holders too has changed from the old pattern of ‘plain
sailing’.
Today vigilance seems to play an active role in every sphere, and in
this regard immigration control has been modified making EU passport
holders to go through a quick computer screening process prior to
presenting their passport to an Immigration official for clearance.
Non-European Passport holders still have to go on a long queue and
convince the immigration officers prior to getting their visa or
‘embarked’ date stamped on their passports.
To minimise long drawn customer queues at supermarkets additional
check-out systems have sprung up whereby customers can self operate and
pay into a machine by using credit cards or Pound notes. After a jiffy
the balance, if any, throws out of the machine including coins!
In a similar fashion some banks too have taken a long leap forward in
updating their operations with electronic innovative systems. For them,
days of dealing with handwritten slips to deposit or withdraw money are
no more, and cashiers deal with customers upon presenting their bank
details, process the transactions and request the customer to sign on a
computer screen pad which is on a mini computer terminal. Cashiers need
only to hand over a printed receipt for the transaction.
|
Tower of
London |
It was a novel experience for me at Abbey National where there are
mini computer terminals outside each cashier’s window for such
operations.
London transport
Travelling in London by London Transport buses is indeed a luxury
compared with private buses in Colombo. Major bus halts display the
route numbers, destinations and the expected time of arrival of buses on
mini computer screens fixed inside the bus halt. For the convenience of
passengers a recorded voice identifies every stop as the bus moves along
its journey.
London Transport systems are equipped with CCTV cameras for the
safety of millions of commuters who use the service on a daily basis.
I considered it as a thoughtful idea while travelling in the tube
train to hear announcements of approaching stations in advance, advising
commuters to get to the correct exit door when approaching station
platforms where commuters in a jam packed peak time situations could be
very helpful as the stopping time on underground railways is restricted
to few seconds.
From a tourist point of view it is yet another a well thought of
inspiration of having recorded voice messages clearly indicating the
destination of the moving tube train with advanced announcements of
approaching stations, at times with hints to tourists where to get off
for sightseeing etc.
National Express buses from Victoria to other destinations are akin
to aero plane travel in terms of safety and comfort. Here wearing of
seat belts becomes compulsory. On long distance journeys toilet
facilities are provided on the lower deck of the bus with free wi fi
facilities connecting to the Internet to keep boredom away from
commuters.
Public Library in Wood Green in North London stands out not only as a
modern lumber room for books, newspapers, video and music cassettes
etc., but it caters for the community in several different ways with a
free membership internet area, kids library and play area and allocation
of a massive section catering for students to do their studies, projects
and homework peacefully with the help of free wi fi facilities. Many
students are seen regularly logged on to the internet via laptops and I
pads with the help of numerous internet terminals provided by the
library for this purpose.
Domestic issues
Talking about England, one area that cannot be ignored is the British
Monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Duke of Edinburgh seem to
grow old gracefully. On June 10, Prince Phillip turned 92, and had to
celebrate his birthday inside a Harley Street clinic recovering from an
abdominal surgery. The Queen had to visit him in hospital to deliver a
birthday card and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41– gun
salutes at Green Park in Central London to mark the Duke’s birthday.
The Mayor of London (Conservative) Boris Johnson seems to be very
much in the news these days with his vision to make London ‘The Greatest
City on Earth'. Various journalists have viewed, reviewed and criticized
his plans but the London Evening Standard’s editorial on June 11 put the
Mayor’s intended programme as ‘ambitious in scale and spirit, and it
embraces a plethora of subjects but at the heart are plans for a “Golden
age Transport”.
Rumours too are afloat in the Capital to say that the Tory party
Chairman David Cameron wants popular Johnson to bring his winning brand
of optimism to the next election but the Mayor has denied of any
approaches or offers to him so far and says he does not want to get in
anyone’s way either. However, some Conservative party members seem to
think that ‘Johnson’s new role could work, detoxifying the Tories
through personality rather than a diluted ideology’.
[email protected]
|